Machine integrators and original equipment manufacturers have been keen to extend the range and variety of applications that are driven by low- to moderate-power, sealed CO2 gas lasers. High power gas lasers can be used in laser machining fields for marking, scribing, and drilling of metals or nonmetals, and for cutting and welding of materials such as, for example, metals.
The choice of design for any industrial laser is based upon the maximum power level, reliability, and costs for investment and operation. For a CO2 laser, maximum power and efficiency are two important factors and are determined by the ability of the gas laser to extract unwanted excess heat from the laser gain medium. Heat extraction can be performed by either diffusion to cooled walls or by flowing of the heated laser gas out of the discharge area.